Allen’s food presentation ‘like school dinners’
ACTOR Keith Allen’s food presentation skills had a grilling in the first episode of the new series of Celebrity MasterChef – at one point being compared to school dinners.
In scenes seen in last night’s opening episode Shallow Grave star Allen, 64, described the experience of competing in the TV cooking competition as “terrifying”.
Llanelli-born Allen said: “I feel like some sort of gladiator sent to fight out on his own against some lions.”
The father of singer Lily Allen later added that he felt as though he has bluffed his way through his whole career and hoped could do so again on the show.
Also trying to impress judges Greg Wallace and John Torode were T’Pau singer Carol Decker, former England rugby player Martin Bayfield, Crimewatch Roadshow presenter Michelle Ackerley and Union J singer Josh Cuthbert.
Allen intrigued Wallace and Torode with a recipe of his own invention, a chicken casserole served on a bed of noodles with a cider apple sauce.
His presentation skills wwere picked up on throughout including when he, Bayfield and Ackerley were tasked with preparing meals for the public at American-inspired steak restaurant Smith And Wollensky.
As Allen hurriedly prepared to add sauce to a steamed cod fillet he was told by the head chef: “Stop slopping it over the plate, it’s not school dinners is it?”
Cuthbert and Decker meanwhile felt the heat in Leicester Square Kitchen, which specialises in Mexican and Peruvian small plate dishes.